Separator



A. N. CHRlTlANSEN SEPKARATOR .F1'1ed May 51,

Nmmaw INVENTOR ATTQBNEY vMar. '13, 1923.

Patented lit/iai'. 13, 1923.

sErARAToR.'

Application led May 31,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, AMO N. CHRlsriAN- SEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cupertino, in the county of Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in separators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a machine for picking prunes from the ground by means of suitably mounted suction nozzles.

It is the object of my invention to provide a machine whereby nutsand fruits may be gathered into a receiver by induced air currents, there separated from dust and debris and deposited in suitable boxes. It is a further object to provide certain mechanisms for the above machine whereby the fruit and debris are properly separated and whereby the fruit is automatically weighed and deposited in boxes without materially interfering with the operation of the air suction mechanism. It is still a further object to provide a means whereby the filled bo-Xes may be automatically removed from the machine.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my impro-ved prune picker, part broken away.

Figure 2 .is a plan view of the forward portion of the same, part broken away.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the dumping mechanism.

Figure 4 is a detail of the clutch for operating the dumping mechanism.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the clutch controlling cam.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, l'indicates the framework of a vehicle mounted on rear wheels 2 and steering wheels 3, the general operating mechanism being indicated at 4 and the steering mechanism at 5. Mounted on frame 1 is a weighing and separating chamber' yhaving one or more suction nozzles 7 connected thereto by ieXible pipes 8. At 9 is shown an eXhauster fan mounted on framel adjacent chamber 6 and connected thereto by pipe 10, baffle plates 11 being arranged in chamber 6 to first deflect the entering material downwardly 1921. serial no. 473,751.

and then upwardly whereby the prunes are more readily separated from the lighter material. The fan 9 is, of course operated by a driving mechanism as 12 connected to the power plant of the ma- 55 chine.

It is necessary to discharge the prunes from the chamber 6 when a certain quantity has collected therein without materially interrupting theaction of the nozzles. To accomplish this result I provide the following mechanism.

At 13 is an arm arranged in the lower portion of chamber 6 to receive fruit deposited therein and pivoted at 14. Mounted on arm 13 at its pivotal point is an arm l5 to which is connected a link 16 attached to an arm 17 pivoted at 18, the arm 17 having a finger 19 mounted thereon engaging a pin 20, this mechanism forming a tripping mechanism for the discharge gates hereinafter described.

Below arm 13 the chamber empties into a discharge chute closed by two sets of doors as at 21--21 and 22-22 hinged at 23-23 and 24-24 respectively and carrying arms as 25-25 and 26 respectively. Each pair of arms 25 and 26 are oppositely directed and connected by links as 27 and 28 so that the operation of one arm 25 and 26 will automatically operate the other arm 25 and 26 to the same degree thereby simultaneously opening and closing the two doorsk of each pair. One arm 25 and one arm 26 has an extension thereon as at 29 and 30 respectively, connected to links 31 and 32 which are in turn attached to arms 33 and 34 pivoted as at 35 and 36. On the end of arms 33 and 34 are rollers 37 and 38 adapted to engage a cam 39, on shaft 40. Shaft 40 is journaled in casing 41 and operated by a belt 42 or other suitable connection to the power mechanism of the device. On shaft 40 is arranged a jaw clutch 43 lnormallyv held out of engagement by pin 20 engaging a cam 44 on said shaft. Cam 44 is so formed that upon lifting pin 2O a distance as 45 through the medium of arms 13-1516 17 and 19 the clutch is thrown into operation by spring 46, but upon the cam 44 re- 100 revolving cam snapped shut by spring doors arranged one over` tance and the. clutch throwninto engage-,y

ment thereby causing cam 39 torevolve in the direc-tion indicated by the arrow. The first Greases arm 33l and thereby opens doors' 21e-2l' and allows the .fruit thereon to fall upon the doors 252-22. The weight of the fruit has now off the gate 13 which isuagain raised by spring 17a acting through arms 15-16. At thesame time pin 2O hasvbeen lowered toits normal :position on cam La as shown in Figure 5i. The moment, however, that the cam 39 releases arm 33 ythe doors 21-21 are i9 and the cam 39 engages arm 34 and operates doors 22-22 which are closed by spring49u. The clutch is now released by the ope-ration of camsurface 47' against1 pin E20 and cam 39 remains stationary until again put -into operation through the operating arm 18.

lmmediately below doors 22--22 is arranged ajboX 50 on platform 5,1the latter being pivotally mountedupon a supporting framework 52 secured to the frame of the machine and'normally held in a horizontal position by f means of arms 53 engaging spring 54 inserted between the said. arms and framework. Upon `the depositing of a suflicient amount of fruit therein the box depresses platform 51 and slides 0H of the saine on to the ground as the machine moves forward.. When the box is deposited on the ground the spring 54 returns the platform to a-horizontalposition ready for another box. s

With a device constructed and operated as above set forth anydesired number of nozzles maybe operated over the ground, the dust,

leaves, twigs, etc., being effectively separated v from the `fruit inthe chamber G. The fruit gatheredinthe chamber is automatically rem moved therefrom Vand deposited in boxes without materially interrupting the action of the nozzles and exhaust chamber, sincethe upper set of doors is closed before the lower one is opened.

lt must nowvbe seen that l have provided a vsimple and highly efficient means for rapidly removing fruit from the ground and ldepositing it in boxes without injury thereto.

It must bel understood vof course, that changes in form, construction and method of operation may be made' within the scope of the appended claims.V L I claim:-'` p y hln a device of the character indicated including a motor vehicle having a separator chamber mounted thereon, two pairs of the other and piv- 13 tov been taken -mountedfin said lreceive material depositedthereon and movinse/ies otally mounted to close the bottom of said chamber, 4a shaft operated by vthe power plant of said vehicle, a cam arranged on said shaft, cam operated means forsuccessively opening said pairs of doors, means for successively closing said pairs of doors, and means for rendering said cam alternately operative and inoperative.y

Q. In a device of the character indicated including a motor vehicle having a separated chamber mounted' thereon, two pairs of doors arranged one over the other and mounted to meet in the center of said chamber and close the same, a shaft operated by the power plant of said vehicle, a cam arranged on said shaft, cam operated means for successively opening said pairsof doors, means for successively closing said pairsof doors, and-means for rendering said cam alternately operative and inoperative.L

3. In a device ofthe character.y indicated including a motor vehiclehaving` a. separar tor chamber' mounted thereon, lapair of doors pivotally mounted at thegsides of'said chamber' tof meet in the centervand closethe bottom thereof, a second pair of. doorspivot.- ally mounted at the sides of said chamber below saidiirst ,mentioneddoors' andy meeting inthe center thereof, ank arm. pivotitlly. chamber` abovesaiddoors to` able under a given weight of material, and means rendered operative 'by the movement of said arm for alternately opening and closing said pairs `of doors. A 4. In a devicel ofthe character indicated including a motor vehicle having ase'para tor rchamber mounted thereon, a pair of. doors pivotally mounted to close fthe bottom ofv said chamber, a shaft operatedbyftlie power plant of said vehicle, a cam arranged on said -shaft,'cain operated means for opgen-A ingsaid pair of doors, vmeans for closing said doors, and means for'rendering'said cam alternately operative and inoperative. 5. In a device of the characterl indicated including a motor vehicle havingasepar'ator chamber mounted thereon, a pair of 'doors pivotally mounted to closethe bottom of said chamber, a shaft operated by the n power plant of lsaid vehicle, a cam arranged :on'said shaft, camA operated means for opening said pair of doors, means for closing" said ."doors, and means actuated by the weight o f'mate-- rial. yin said chamber for renderingsaid cam operative. f f

6. ln a device of .the character indicated including a motor vehicle having a separator chamber mounted thereon, a pairl of doors pivotally mounted to close the bottom of said chamber, a shaft operated by the'power plant of said vehicle, aclutch arranged fon said shaft, normally in an inoperative posi'- tion",` a cam arranged on said shaft and ren-V dered operative by said clutch, cam'opere iso ated means for opening said pair of doors, means for Closing said doors, an arm mounted in said chamber above said doors to receive material deposited therein, a second cam arranged on said shaft and forming a part of said clutch, a pin operatively mounted with relation to said last named cam, and mechanism connecting said pin and arm whereby a Weight on said arm Will retract said pin and release said clutch to render l0 said rst named cani 0 erative.

AMO N HRISTIANSEN. 

